Page 24 of Stealing for Keeps
“So you didn’t make out with her at Doyle’s bonfire party last week?”
I start to deny it, but, well, I kind of did. “How do you know so much already?”
Frost Lake is so much bigger than our last school, I feel like I learned a hundred names today and retained only a few.
“I have ears.”
“They didn’t break up because of me.”
“Well, that’s not what people are saying.”
“You need to get a life. Find some new friends, and stop listening to stupid gossip.”
“Why? So you can sleep with them?” She cocks her head to the side in challenge.
Annoyed, I give her the middle finger. I dated her best friend back in Arizona, but it’s not like I make a habit of hooking up with her friends.
“Kaylie askedmeout and I learned my lesson. Your friends are drama. Like you.”
“Whatever.” She draws the word out and rolls her eyes.
“People say lots of shit that isn’t true. Just like back in Arizona.” Different school, same exaggerated gossip.
“Yeah, well, Vaughn was there tonight for a while, and he did look pretty upset. Also, he’s hot. I have no idea why she’d break up with him for you.” She wrinkles her nose up in disgust.
Flipping her off again, I ask, “Was Claire there?”
My sister’s smile turns mischievous. “I’m surprised you don’t already know.”
I roll my eyes. “I did not break them up. They broke up months ago.”
“But you did hook up with her?”
“We kissed. Once.” One kiss that I still can’t stop thinking about. “It was a stupid dare. That’s all.” I snap my mouth shut. My sister is as likely to spread that around as anyone right now, with as pissed as she’s been about moving.
“A girl in my algebra class is friends with Hunter Lester’s sister, and she said that they’ve been a couple for years. That it’s only a matter of time until they get back together. He’s still hung up on her.”
That last part I’d already figured out on my own, but the fact that they dated for so long is news to me. I don’t like the idea of them getting back together. I try not to think too hard on why that is. I have enough problems without getting myself further involved in high school drama.
“Seriously, how do you know all this already?” I ask, swiping the Pringles can back from Torrance.
“How do you not? They’re your friends. Or, well, not Vaughn.” A devilish grin spreads across her face. “Is it true that he punched you at practice?”
“For the love of…” I mutter and then sigh. “Of course it isn’t true.”
She laughs like she thought as much but is loving the image of me getting decked.
In truth, practices have been rough. Vaughn is still pissed, and the rest of the guys are watching him for their cues. Last Friday, someone swiped my clothes and all the towels while I was in the shower. I had to walk out bare-ass naked into the coaches’ office to find something to cover myself with.
And today, my practice jersey went missing, and I hadto show up to the field without it. Coach made me run five laps and then chastised me for losing his property and not coming prepared.
Maybe they’d be messing with me regardless of Vaughn. I’m coming in as the new guy, and not everyone is stoked about sharing the field with an outsider, but I have a feeling if he was embracing me as a teammate, they would too. Which means I’m going to have to figure out how to make amends.
* * *
The week passes in a blur of school and soccer. During the day, I see Claire at lunch and in art class. She doesn’t say much to me in either scenario, but I’ve gotten to know her friends, and they all seem cool. Rowan’s cool too. He’s the only guy on the team who says more than two words to me at a time.
In the middle of the second week, Mrs. Randolph gives us a free day to work on anything we want. She’s a pretty laid-back teacher, and the class has become my favorite. The room is stuffy and smells of paint and clay, but I have an entire hour that feels like a break. School has never really been my thing. My grades are okay, but I’ve always preferred an extra hour of soccer practice to doing homework.
